Protest as Form: An Informal Discussion with Occupy Chicago

Friday 10/28 4pm – 6pm

Organizer: Katie Weddall

In keeping with my station’s theme of Ecosophy and intersubjective relationships, I had proposed to devote a phase of my station’s project to the subject of gathering, seeking to specifically examine what makes gathering meaningful. The Occupy Wall Street movement seems to have come along almost providentially, offering itself as a case study as to what happens when strangers connect. For this phase of my project I will be tracking OWS and 99percent news stories, tumblrs, and blogs, tracing the language of politicized gathering, which, in OWS’s particular case, is rife with sentiment: “brothers and sisters,” “solidarity,” “humanity,” and even “love.” Findings will be posted in my project space along with a protest signage archive.

Presently scheduled programming includes an informal panel discussion with active members of Occupy Chicago, moderated by myself. I will lead the discussion with questions about the evolution of the movement, what self-organization looks like (particularly in terms of the unique format of the general assembly meetings), broader cultural context, and the movement’s values, demands, and goals. After some initial questions, students and faculty will be invited to ask questions and

initiate conversation.

What: An informal conversation

When: Friday (Oct 28) at 4pm

Where: our space

Why: I’ve shifted my project to focus on what it means to gather meaningfully, using OWS as a case-study. This talk is a means to both explore those issues and bring Occupy Chicago to students who may not be able to make it out to OC events, but are curious about it.

How: By sitting in the space and talking. I will lead with questions to break the ice.

Who: The discussion will be led by myself, Edgar (head of outreach at OC), and a couple of members of OC selected by Edgar. I plan to contact a couple of faculty members and Platypus to see if they would be interested in getting involved as well.